Thoughts from the interface of science, religion, law and culture

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.

EVENTS

Notoriously Anti-Gay Judge Has Gay Porn Past?

Well this is very interesting. Instinct magazine is reporting that notoriously anti-gay Judge Bill Pryor of Alabama — he filed a brief in Lawrence v Texas advocating for the Texas law that put gay people in jail — may have done some gay porn modeling himself in his younger days.

The Alabama Bureau of Investigations (ABI) is looking into images that appeared on then-popular gay porn site Badpuppy.com in the ’90s. Reportedly working on a few tips, the ABI is concerned that the full-frontal images feature federal circuit Judge Bill Pryor. If the ABI confirms that the images are in fact those of the conservative Bush-appointee, there is a chance Pryor could be indicted for falsifying his background during his confirmation hearings. Sources indicate that Pryor was aware the pics were public on the site in 1997, a few years ahead of his appointment.

Pryor reportedly posed for the shots while he was a student at Northeast Louisiana University from 1980 – 1984, and sources indicate that the porn appeared in print during that time before finding new life on the Internet in the ’90s.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with such modeling of course. But Pryor’s anti-gay views are very well known and have long been on display. He was the Alabama attorney general before George W. Bush nominated him for the federal bench in 2003 and People for the American Way noted his long track record of homophobic positions.

Pryor, 41 years old, has used the power of his office in an effort to push the law in an extreme far right direction harmful to the rights and interests of ordinary Americans. Pryor has done this not only through litigation in which Alabama was a party, but also by electing to file amicus curiae briefs in cases in which Alabama was not involved and Pryor had no obligation to participate. Pryor is also a frequent public speaker whose speeches make clear that the ideological positions he has taken in these cases are his own….

Pryor would deny gay men and lesbians the equal protection of the laws. He believes that it is constitutional to imprison gay men and lesbians for expressing their sexuality in the privacy of their own homes and has voluntarily filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court urging the Court to uphold a Texas law that criminalizes such private consensual activity.

He was also a big supporter of Judge Roy Moore during the controversy over the Ten Commandments monuments Moore had installed at the Alabama Supreme Court building. Moore is a theocrat who thinks gay people should be sent to prison or put to death. By this time, anti-gay Republicans who turn out to have gay skeletons in their closet are so routine that when Republicans hear about a sex scandal involving one of their own, they breathe a sigh of relief if it’s with a member of the opposite sex.

If the images were taken in the mid 80s, he almost certainly posed for an agency with the expectation that they would be published eventually in Playgirl or some other magazine aimed at straight women. Presumably, the agency went under, its assets were sold, and ended up in the hands of a gay internet site. Having signed away all rights to those images, he would have had no control over where they ended up, and tried to sweep the whole affair under the rug. His embarrassment and probable bitterness would certainly explain his bigotry on the bench.

This doesn’t excuse his lying during the confirmation hearings, and if the investigation pans out, I fully expect him to be impeached. But I think it is far too early to start calling him a self-hating closet case.

Let’s be fair here, the fact that he modeled for a gay web site doesn’t necessarily mean that he is gay. As it happens, a number of perfectly straight young men have posed in such a milieu. Maybe he needed the bread.

Let’s be fair here, the fact that he modeled for a gay web site doesn’t necessarily mean that he is gay.

colnago80, if he had modeled specifically for a gay web site, that would make him an gignormous hypocrite. Whether he’s actually gay or not is not so important really. As Gregory notes however, it may be that he did not produce the pictures specifically for the “gay market”.

Just to add to the apparent consensus, I had a roommate in college who, during his school breaks, would dance at a gay club in New York. He was straight, but made a nice sum performing that way. So Pryor was not necessarily interested in being gay, but maybe he didn’t know or care what happened to the pictures and just needed the bread for school expenses.

Still, if he lied, and it’s good enough to get rid of him, that’s A-OK with me. Like indicting Al Capone for tax fraud

I’d say the pictures themselves are irrelevant. Also, they really don’t say anything about his sexuality, which is equally irrelevant (other than a point of hypocrisy given his positions if he did happen to be gay). The only thing that actually matters, from my point of view, is his lying about his background during confirmation hearings.

But if he did lie…? Impeachment? Not happening given the wing-nut crowd in the House. Even if it did get through the house, I don’t see any way 2/3 of the Senate will vote to remove him. Unless he becomes expendable, remember that this is the party that reelected “Appalachian trail” Sanford and had “hey, is that a potential 4th wife?” Gingrich as a contender for presidential nomination. Forgiving their own, even when that involves criminal misuse of public funds is what they do if they’re a proper soldier of Gawd against TEH GAY!!!

It doesn’t matter if he’s teh GAY or not. All that matters is that he has besmirched his reputation with the stain of homobuttseckz maybeness. He is damaged goods, his brand is ruined, he couldn’t get elected dog cat—, wazzat? He’s a republican–ok, never mind.

I am going to say something controversial here. There is something inherently…weird….yes “gay” about “body building” as a culture and “sport”. Are the participants all gay? Of course not, and that’s not what I meant. And I speak as someone who is a little bit into weight lifting himself, so… But….

But…Arnold’s biggest “crime” against heterosexuality is starring in COMMANDO.

“Homoeroticism:

More than you could possibly imagine. I mean all the crap about Arnold being Der Gropin’fuhrer was just a rightwing-ruse to distract Californians from the fact that Schwarzenegger has starred in the single gayest movie ever made. The Republican Party had to make Schwarzenegger look like the worst heterosexual predator since Marv Albert just so that their own people would vote for him. For reals. The first time we see Arnold in Commando, Mr. Olympia is carrying a big chainsaw with a four-foot blade and an even larger log on one shoulder. He’s all sweaty and determined looking, rugged, and accompanied by a steamy steel drum and sax solo! Bear City, USA, man. While flipping through his daughter’s Tiger Beat a few scenes later, he exclaims, “Why don’t they just call him Girl George? It would cut down on the confusion.” Meaning of course that while others might have been confused about Boy George’s sexuality back in 1986, Arnold knew the straight truth. Or lack thereof.”